1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clothing drycleaning machine and more particularly it relates to the drying and solvent recovering circuit thereof, which is conceived in such a manner to obtain high energetic economy, simultaneously avoiding the solvent consumption and the pollution occurring in the known open circuit machines, nevertheless obtaining a solvent removal from the clothing similar to that obtained by using the above mentioned open circuit machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that the drycleaning machines comprise a drying and solvent removal circuit, which, starting from the drum containing the clothing articles, comprises an air circulation fan, a condenser of the solvent contained in the air, and an element for heating said air before its re-introduction into the drum.
In conventional open circuit machines, a so-called deodorization phase follows the usual drying phase which is effected under a closed circuit condition and with a solvent recovery. In said deodorization phase, the above mentioned circuit is open to allow ambient air to enter the circuit and contact clothing, in order to remove residual solvent therefrom and to be finally discharged in the atmosphere.
This deodorization phase presents, however, various drawbacks and particularly the following ones:
Solvent (Perchloroethylene) waste, as it is eliminated together with the deodorization air; PA1 Environment pollution caused by the discharged deodorization air; PA1 Requirement of a cleaner arranged at the outlet of the deodorization air.
To avoid said drawbacks, it has been already suggested to operate under closed circuit conditions by substituting the air deodorization phase with a more forced cooling of same air, in such a manner to obtain a higher solvent condensation and recovery degree. To this purpose, a condenser consisting of the evaporator of a refrigerating circuit is utilized, while the air flow rate is decreased during such forced cooling step, in such a manner to allow the desired temperature low levels to be reached.
Simultaneously with the refrigerating circuit evaporator, the condenser of same circuit is used to heat or to cooperate in heating the air during both drying and solvent recovery phases.
Said suggestion however has not resulted till now in a valid application, at least in connection with refrigerating equipment of the trade, as required by the market necessity. In fact, sufficiently emphasized air refrigerating and heating at the drum outlet and respectively inlet, particularly during the solvent removal (or recovery) have not been obtained.
In the embodiments till now known, not very high refrigerating levels (with a high solvent percentage remaining in the air) or low heating levels (the solvent in this case being not entirely removed from the clothing or even freezing thereon) have been compulsory accepted. In any case, the clothes still maintain a high solvent quantity at the end of removal or recovery operation, and this is a loss per se and can produce pollution and injury to operator's health during the ironing operation, when the residual solvent is released.